Rex and Daisy could now be seen standing in front of the Pokémon Center of Vermilion City as the sun slowly rose over the horizon. The orange light painted the streets, making it painfully clear that the entire night had passed without them getting even a minute of sleep thanks to the fight with Proton and Team Rocket.
Both of them had dark circles under their eyes, their shoulders slumped with exhaustion.
"…I feel like a zombie," Rex muttered, rubbing his eyes.
Daisy yawned loudly, not even bothering to cover her mouth. "You look like one too."
They pushed open the doors of the Pokémon Center, the bell chiming softly. The place was eerily quiet—after all, it was barely six in the morning.
"Of course it's empty," Rex said weakly. "Normal people are asleep right now."
"Normal people don't fight shadow-powered alpha Pokémon," Daisy replied dryly.
The first thing they did was call Professor Oak.
The screen flickered to life, revealing Oak with a mug of coffee in his hand.
The moment he saw their exhausted faces, he sighed deeply. "…Let me guess. Long night?"
Daisy immediately began explaining everything—Diglett Cave, the territorial war, Team Rocket, Proton, the Shadow Serum, and the captured alpha Golem. As she spoke, Rex carefully pulled out the Poké Ball containing the unconscious alpha Golem and handed it over digitally through the transfer system.
"Please treat it properly, Gramps," Daisy said seriously. "And remove that serum completely."
Oak's expression hardened as he nodded.
"Leave that to me. That Shadow Serum is dangerous… and cruel."
He then turned his attention to Rex. "Rex, you need to be careful from now on. The public has seen you clearly. People will crowd you, question you… some may even try to provoke you."
Rex scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah… I kinda noticed."
Oak then glanced back at Daisy. "Oh, Daisy. Gary is also in Vermilion City."
Daisy blinked. "He is?"
"Yes. He challenged Lt. Surge yesterday and lost," Oak said calmly. "He's staying in an inn nearby and training. Check up on him when you can."
The moment Gary's name left Oak's mouth, a dark aura visibly radiated from Daisy.
Her knuckles cracked loudly.
"…That little brat," she growled. "Steals Dad's credit card. Steals the car. And surrounds himself with gold diggers?"
Rex slowly leaned away. 'I'm just gonna pretend I didn't hear that.'
Oak coughed awkwardly. "Anyway… you two should rest for today. You've done more than enough."
"Bye, Gramps," Daisy said, still muttering threats under her breath.
The call ended.
Rex, barely functioning at this point, shuffled over to the counter and spoke sleepily to Nurse Joy. "Two-bed room… please."
He handed over Zorua's Poké Ball along with Daisy's Golem and Wartortle. Nurse Joy smiled warmly and assured him they'd be well taken care of.
Within minutes, Rex and Daisy collapsed onto separate beds.
And slept like the dead.
They only woke up in the afternoon.
Rex sat up slowly, hair a mess, eyes half-open. "I think I just slept through twelve timelines."
Daisy tossed a food bag onto his bed. "Eat."
She had brought lunch up to the room because, apparently, two reporters had been spying on them and had even recorded footage of Rex and Daisy battling the alpha Dugtrio, the alpha Golem, the shadow-powered alpha Golem, Team Rocket grunts… and Proton.
Now the internet was on fire again.
'Why does everything I do become a headline…' Rex sighed internally even though under Daisy's flat gaze he had a smirk on his face while eating.
To avoid attention, both Rex and Daisy wore masks as they left the Pokémon Center and headed toward the inn where Gary was staying.
Daisy stopped dead in her tracks.
A very familiar voice echoed down the street.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm telling you! I'll totally beat Lt. Surge next time! Yesterday was just a fluke!"
Gary Oak strutted out of the inn like he owned the place.
Behind him were ten girls, all older than him, clinging to his arms and sides, swooning dramatically.
"You're amazing, Gary!" "You're such a prodigy!" "We totally believe in you!"
Daisy's dark aura intensified.
"…Oh, I'm going to kill him."
Gary suddenly froze.
Two masked figures stood directly in front of him.
Both of them slowly removed their masks.
"Yo," Rex said casually.
"Hi, brother," Daisy said sweetly.
The gold diggers immediately gasped.
"That's him!" "The Pokémon hero!" "It's Rex!"
They surged forward— Only to stop instantly when Zorua, yawning on Rex's shoulder, opened its eyes and used Scary Face.
The girls flinched and stumbled back.
"Personal space," Rex said flatly.
Meanwhile, Daisy had already reached Gary.
She pressed her knuckles hard into the top of his head.
"DAISY—WAIT—STOP—!" Gary cried, tears instantly forming. "I'M SORRY! I WON'T STEAL DAD'S CREDIT CARD AGAIN! OR HIS CAR!"
Too late.
Rex watched, sweat dropping, as Daisy dragged Gary by the ear back into the inn.
'…This is karma in action.'
She turned briefly to the stunned gold diggers. "Keep the money Gary paid you. Just never approach him again."
The girls' faces lit up instantly. "REALLY?!"
They ran off happily.
Inside Gary's room, Daisy unleashed her full lecture.
Gary sat on the floor with five large bumps on his forehead, comical tears streaming down his face.
"I GET IT! I'M WRONG! PLEASE STOP!"
Rex leaned against the wall, munching on chips.
Zorua sat nearby, happily eating Oran Berries.
"…Best entertainment I've had all day," Rex said honestly.
While Rex and Zorua were entertaining themselves by watching Daisy lecture Gary, the scene slowly shifted away from the inn—to the Vermilion City Gym.
The massive metallic doors were shut tight, the interior dimly lit by humming electric panels and sparking wires. At the center of the gym stood Lt. Surge.
He spoke into a phone, his eyes fixed on the figures lined up before him.
Fifty Team Rocket grunts stood in perfect attention.
On the other end of the call was a familiar, cold voice.
"The Power Plant operation must not fail," Giovanni said calmly. "Everything depends on it."
Surge smirked. "You don't need to worry, boss. As an executive, failure isn't an option."
The word executive hung heavily in the air.
This wasn't just a Gym Leader.
Lt. Surge ended the call and slid the phone into his pocket. His grin widened as he looked at the grunts. "You heard him. Move out."
He reached behind a nearby locker, pulling out a dark hoodie and a black mask, quickly putting them on. The gym lights flickered as a section of the floor slid open, revealing a hidden underground tunnel.
"Stay sharp," Surge ordered as he stepped forward. "We're not coming out of the Power Plant until he is captured."
The grunts followed silently, their boots echoing as the hidden passage sealed shut behind them.
The scene shifted back to Rex and Daisy.
Gary shuffled ahead of them, still rubbing his head, five visible bumps standing out painfully.
"I'm just saying," Gary muttered, wincing, "if you keep hitting people like that, you're never gonna find a boyfriend."
Daisy stopped walking.
Slowly, she raised her fist.
Gary instantly shrieked. "SORRY! I TAKE IT BACK! PLEASE DON'T HIT ME AGAIN!"
Rex snorted. Zorua let out an amused yip.
'Deserved,' Rex thought.
Rex's phone buzzed, and he stepped slightly aside to answer it. "Hello?"
Professor Oak's face appeared on the screen. "Rex. I have a task for you."
Rex straightened up. "Yes, Professor?"
"I want you to go to the Power Plant," Oak said. "There's a Pokémon there I need—Rotom."
"Rotom?" Rex repeated.
Oak nodded enthusiastically. "I'm collaborating on a research project with a professor from the Alola region. We're developing a new Pokédex model—one powered by Rotom itself. The Rotomdex."
Rex's eyes lit up. 'A Pokédex with personality… that actually sounds awesome.'
"Catch one if you can," Oak continued. "But be careful. Power Plants have a lot of high level Electric type Pokemon."
Rex smiled confidently. "Leave it to me, Professor."
The call ended.
Rex turned back to Daisy. "We should head to the Power Plant. Professor Oak wants us to catch a Rotom."
Gary's ears perked up immediately. "Power Plant?!" He grinned. "Perfect! I wanted to add an Electric-type to my team anyway!"
Daisy crossed her arms, giving him a sharp look. "You slow us down, and I hit you again."
Gary gulped. "Crystal clear."
Zorua hopped back onto Rex's shoulder, tail swishing with interest.
Rex nodded. "Alright then. Let's move."
The trio turned and began heading toward the Power Plant, completely unaware that shadows were already moving ahead of them—and that Team Rocket's plan was already in motion.